Ball field and playing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A playing field with a substantially flat surface having an angular form bounded by side lines which taper inwardly to form a corner portion, the corner portion having a batter&#39;&#39;s position and a wicket structure. A bird and bat are placed at the batter&#39;&#39;s position, the bird comprising a spoollike element and having a space beneath a central portion to accommodate a prong portion extending from an end of the bat so that a batter can engage the bird and toss it in the air and strike it for a play position on the field.

United States Patent [7 Inventor Sylvester p i 969,424 9/1910 Tilmes &Kallmeyer..... 273/88 :3 Tantalus Drive, Honolulu, Hawan 2,683,6037/1954 Gackenbach 273/ 9 13 F REl N P EN 8 [21] Appl. No. 815,619 0 G T[22] Filed Apt 14, 1969 265,080 8/1926 Great Britain 273/1(C) PatentedJan. 12, 1971 Primary ExaminerAnton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-M. S.Siskind AtlorneyEar1 E. Moore [-54] BALL FIELD AND PLAYING APPARATUS 5Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] [1.8. CI 273/95, ABSTRACT: A playing field with a Substantiallyflat Surface 273/106 273/1 273/1021 273/72 having an angular formbounded by side lines which taper in- [51 Ilil. Cl A63b 67/00 wardly toform a comer portion, the Comer portion having a Field ofSearch 273/25,56, b i i d a i k structure A bird and bat are 106! 1021C placed at thebatter's position, the bird comprising a spoollike element and having aspace beneath a central portion to ac- [56] References cued commodate aprong portion extending from an end of the bat UNITED STATES PATENTS sothat a batter can engage the bird and toss it in the air and 442,67512/1890 Wilcox (273/1 O6UX) strike it for a play position on the field.

PATENTED JAN 12 Ian I SHEET 1 0F 2 INVENTOR SYLVESTER K. APIK!PATENTEDJANIZISTI 5 5 SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR SYLVESTEF? K. AFIK/ ATTORNEYBALL FIELD AND PLAYING APPARATUS This invention relates to a game thatcan be played indoors or outdoors. If played indoors, the game is playedon a board which is marked the same as the markings on the ground whenplayed outdoors. The play field is an angular one having areas wherescores can be made from a batting area. The flight object or missile iscalled a bird and it must be batted into one of the score areas and afield player picks up the bird, according to the rules, and returns itto the batting area by attempting to knock down a wicket or the likewhich is a removable bar.

A special wicket means, batting means and bird means are employed. Thebat has a projection or extension as a prong, for instance, which isadapted to pass undera portion of the bird so that the bird can beeasily lifted and tossed into the air where it can be batted to adistant portion of the field; but if the batter so desires, he can makeadditional points of score by tapping the bird upwardly from the bat ina manner that might be termed juggling the bird and this is done byconstantly knocking the bird upward in the air by the bat until thebatter is ready to make a final swing to send the bird to one of thescoring areas. A flag is provided on the wicket so that a player in thefield can easily and quickly see the wicket and aim the bird to it. Theteam with the greatest skill will gain the most points of score and thuswin the game. The game may be any number of innings, but seven inningsis believed sufficient so asnot to overtire the players.

The principal object of this invention is to present an amusing gamewherein a high degree of skill is required and a game which can beenjoyed by an audience and wherein the assembly of spectators may reachthe proportion of those now attending other sports such as football andbaseball.

Another object is to provide a game that can be played on a board (afolding board forinstance) and thus amuse a pair of contestants whoemploy toy men of small size as players.

Other objects of this invention can be learned from a perusal of thespecification and drawings attached hereto.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a playing field wherein thefield may be a grassy plot of ground or a portable board;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a wicket device;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a bird;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a bat;

fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the bat shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of one end of the bird showing how the batengages the bird (only a portion of the bat being shown).

With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a playing field of aspecial design which is within the bounds of broken lines, for instance:the side lines 1 and 2 and includes the curved dividing lines 3, 4 and 5and the side lines of a box indicated at 6 and 7 and a rear line 8. Thepurpose of the broken lines is to make it easy and economical to formthe field by the use of lime or flour when the field is arrangedoutdoors and of full size. The result is a design as shown in thedrawings. The curved lines 3, 4 and 5 provide scoring point areas ordistricts B C and D and a spacing area A. The area D has no forwardbounds except that the extension of the side lines limits the area as towidth.

The box formed by lines 6, 7 and 8 have the front portion thereofindicated by lines 9 and 10 which may be termed batter start lines orpositions. Between the start lines a wicket device 11 is shown anddetails thereof are illustrated in FIG. 2. A circle space or plate 12 isprovided as a suitable place for a specific purpose to be explainedpresently.

All the spaces provided need not necessarily be exactly the size theyappear to be in the drawings, but it is preferred that the side lines 1and 2 be at substantially right angles to each other and that the areasA B and C be of such a size as indicated whereby their respective lineends are 50 feet apart when the field is set up outdoors. The box sidesshould be fifteen feet each and the circle plate 12 about 6 feet indiameter and located where shown.

The wicket device consists of a pair of spaced-apart stakes or pegs 13and 14 which are driven into the ground 15 about equal distance andpresent their flat tops to support a removable bar or wicket 16. Theends of this bar are rabbeted so as to provide a fiat undersurface torest neatly upon the tops of the pegs. A bright orange or yellow flag ordrape 17 is provided and attached to the bar 16 so that the wicketdevice can be seen from a distance. The dangling bottom edge of the flagis shown tapered so as to indicate the center portion of the wicketdevice.

The bird 19 used in this game is shown in FIG. 3. This bird and otherparts of the game may be of wood or plastic material and tough enough towithstand the abuse such items must take in such a game. The bird hasthe general appearance of a spool and has a shaft portion 20 withintegral rounded ends 21 and 22. Although the shaft and ends are shownround, they may not necessarily be of such a configuration. It isimportant that a space 23 be provided which is large enough to easilyreceive the end portion or prong of a bat to be presently explained indetail.

The bat is indicated at 24 and is of the usual general form of abaseball bat, but shorter, and has the hand grip portion 25. The distalend of the bat has a U-shaped prong or end extension 26 and wherein itslegs 27 and 28 are embedded in the bat end for instance, fixed ingrooves of the bat end and a ferrulelike wrapping 29 provided to protectthe bat end. Obviously, a metal ferrule may be used for the purpose, butin any event, the pickup end of the prong 26 is of sufficient length andso sized that it can reach beneath the shaft 20 of the bird as indicatedin FIG. 6 of the drawing. If found advantageous, the exposed portion ofthe prong may be slightly curved and the very ends of the legs may besharpened and bent to enter the material of the bat and in this wayprovide a batter-fixed prong.

The name of the game is P10 and the length of the game may be seveninnings. An inning is counted when each of the two teams have one turnat the bat. Each team has a plurality of players, however, in practice,it has been found that seven men in the field is sufficient, therefore,each team should have at least seven men. Obviously, the dimensions ofthe areas and lines of the field may be varied for ordinary vacant lotplaying, but for professional games, the dimensions should bestandardized.

BATTING The batters take turns in rotation until three outs are made.The captain of the team decides how the men are to be listed so thateach man gets his turn at the bat. A batter grasps the bat at the handlethereof in either hand and then grasps the shaft of the bird with theother hand. He tosses the bird upwardly and hits it at about its centerportion so as to knock the bird as far as possible within the side linesand tries to so place the bird that it is not caught or pushed by thehand of a fielder. If the batter misses the bird on the first swing, heis allowed a second try. The batter stands at either side of the wicketand back ofthe line 9 or 10.

FIELDING There are no bases and hence no running by the batter. Thefielders should be spread out over the field at strategic points ofoperation, but no fielder is positioned in the area A. The fieldersshould try to put the batter out by catching the bird before it hits theground, but when a safe hit is made, one of the fielders will pick upthe bird and try to hit the wicket 16 to displace it (ground it) andthus put the batter out. A fielder is allowed to push the batted birdwhile in motion by hand only with the object of getting the bird nearerto the wicket.

1. If the bird is pushed outside of the play lines, the batter willplace the bird in the circle 12 and then try for points. If the bird istossed beyond the wicket but within the field of play, the point-trywill be made from where the bird stops. If during the point-try the birdis pushed outside of the field it is placed at point of push.

2. If the batter missed the bird on the first try but hits the bird to asafe spot on the second try, the fielders will be entitled to a kick.One of the fielders then places the bird on but over his toes of eitherfoot and kicks the bird as close as possible to the wicket withoutpassing it; and then by hand he tries to knock down the wicket for aputout. If the bird is kicked outside of the play field, the batter mustplace the bird in circle l2 and try again for points as aforesaid. Butif the bird is kicked over the wicket 11, the batter is entitled topoints play from where the bird stops if still within the lines of thebox. When trying for a putout, a fielder may throw the bird from thepoint where it stops or is stopped. If the bird lands near a side line(lines 1 or 2) the fielder may pickup the bird and walk to the center ofthe field to a spot the same distance from the wicket and there try todislodge the wicket.

SCORING After the fielder has failed to putout the batter upon a hit,the batter will then try to score by hitting the bird into a scoringarea or zone like B, C or D. This operation requires that the batterplace the tip 26 under the shaft of the bird and then to flip the birdupwardly into the air to hit it and knock the bird into one of thescoring areas. If the batter succeeds in knocking the bird safely intoarea B he gets one point; if he places the bird in area C he gets twopoints; but in area D he would get five points. Additional points can bemade before he knocks the bird into said areas. This is done by tappingthe bird straight up to keep it into the air until he decides to knockthe bird into one of the scoring areas. Each tap on the bird counts apoint (but not the hit which sends the bird into a scoring'area) thusthe score for the batter would be the number of taps plus the areascore. If the batter fails to make a successful tap, that is, he misses,he cannot score.

Each batter will have two tries for scoring. if after the second attemptat scoring in one of the areas, but if there be no scoring and the birdremains in area A the batter scores nothing at all regardless of thenumber of taps he may have made; however, the batter is not out. A newbatter is then positioned at 9 or 10.

OUTS

A batter will be called out by the umpire if: 1. The batter misses thebird on his second try. If the batter hits the bird on the second tryand makes a safe landing of the bird, he is penalized for missing thebird on the first try and this penalty is: after the successful secondhit, the fielder will have a kick coming and this is done in the mannerexplained under Fielding.

2. if the batter knocks the bird outside of the playing field or beyondthe side lines 1 and 2 he is out.

3. If the batter throws the bat during batting action, or point-makingattempts, he is out.

4. If during battings operations he drops the bird onto the wicket orany part of the bird goes under the wicket, he is out.

5. Fielder catches a fly, the batter is out.

6. Batter makes a safe hit and a fielder returns the bird and hits thewicket or any part of the bird goes under the wicket, the batter is out.If fielder throws the bird at the wicket for a putout and the bird goesoutside of the field of play, the batter must pick up the bird and placeit in the circle 12 and try for points (fielders are not stationed inthe area A).

Certain novel features and details of this invention are disclosedwherein, and in some cases in considerable detail, and this is in orderto make the invention clear in at least one form thereof, however, it isto be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is notnecessarily limited to the exact form and details disclosed since it isapparentthat various modifications and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as described andclaimed.

1 claim:

angular form bounded bty form a comer portion, e corner portion having amar space for a batters position, and wicket means at said marked space,a bird and a bat at said marked space, the bird comprising a spoollikeelement having a space beneath a central portion thereof to accommodatea prong portion extending from an end of the bat so that a batter canengage the bird and toss it into the air and strike it for a playposition on the field.

2. The field recited in claim 1 wherein the wicket means is a removablebar spaced above the surface of the field and which is adapted to beknocked to the surface of the field when hit by the bird that is thrownby a fielder, and a flag means supported by the bar which is to begrounded when struck by the bird.

3. The field recited in claim 2 wherein the wicket means is an elongatedbar balanced upon a pair of spaced-apart pegs.

4. The field recited in claim 3 wherein a box area is provided back ofthe wicket means, and a plate in front of .the wicket means sized toaccommodate a batter.

5. The field recited in claim 4 wherein curved scoring areas areprovided in front of and spaced from the wicket means, and wherein thescoring areas have point values when the bird is stopped thereon, andwherein the point values of each scoring area are higher in accordanceto their distance from the wicket means.

1. A playing field with a substantially flat surface having an angularform bounded by side lines which taper inwardly to form a cornerportion, the corner portion having a marked space for a batter''sposition, and wicket means at said marked space, a bird and a bat atsaid marked space, the bird comprising a spoollike element having aspace beneath a central portion thereof to accommodate a prong portionextending from an end of the bat so that a batter can engage the birdand toss it into the air and strike it for a play position on the field.2. The field recited in claim 1 wherein the wicket means is a removablebar spaced above the surface of the field and which is adapted to beknocked to the surface of the field when hit by the bird that is thrownby a fielder, and a flag means supported by the bar which is to begrounded when struck by the bird.
 3. The field recited in claim 2wherein the wicket means is an elongated bar balanced upon a pair ofspaced-apart pegs.
 4. The field recited in claim 3 wherein a box area isprovided back of the wicket means, and a plate in front of the wicketmeans sized to accommodate a batter.
 5. The field recited in claim 4wherein curved scoring areas are provided in front of and spaced fromthe wicket means, and wherein the scoring areas have point values whenthe bird is stopped thereon, and wherein the point values of eachscoring area are higher in accordance to their distance from the wicketmeans.